Wheel flange oiler



Jan. 5, 1932. P. H. HAMlL'oN 1,839,219 .Y

WHEEL FLANGE OILER Filed July 15, 1928 1 fw mlm g I Imf@ 11151'.

i Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT erica PERRY H. HAMILTON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO MAINTENANCE EQUIP- MENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS i W'HEEL FLAN GE OILER Application lea'xuly 13, 192s. serial No. 292,401.

This invention relates to a Wheel flange oiler, and more particularly to a device for projecting oil from a reservoir mounted adj a cent the rail onto the flange of a car wheel and the side of the rail head. The present invention relates to certain improvements on the device disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 262,452, tiled March 17, 1928.

A receptacle or reservoir, holding a quantity of oil, is mounted adjacent that side of the rail at which the wheel lange travels. A pump mechanism mounted in the reservoir comprises a plunger positioned to be depressed by the wheel flange, thereby projecting oil through a discharge passage leading -to a point adjacent the rail head from which the oil is thrown onto the wheel lange. Means is provided for elevating the plunger after the wheel flange has passed by, whereby a new quantity of oil flows or is drawn from the reservoir into the pump cylinder.

In order to operate most eiliciently, it is desirable that the plunger have a uniform stroke, that is each downward or oil-expelling stroke should be of substantially the same length. However, the car wheel flanges which engage the plunger to depress same vary considerably in diameter, and unless some means is provided to compensate for this variation in the diameter of the flanges, the downward working strokes of the plunger will vary accordingly.

The particular object of the invention is to provide means for securing uniform working strokes of the plunger inboth directions, regardless of the variations in the diameter of the car wheel anges. This object is attained by providing stops for limiting the stroke of the plunger in each direction and making a portion of the plunger compressible. The plunger is so positioned that it will be forced downward for its complete stroke by wheel flanges of the smallest diameter, and the compressible portion of the plunger will permit flanges of larger diameter to pass over the plunger without increasing the stroke. Y

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description of one approved form of the apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of the apparatus mounted on the rail.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section,

taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on a larger scale, taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The improved wheel liange oiler comprises an elongated receptacle closed atv its bottom 1, its rear wall 2, front wall 3, and end walls 4. The rear wall 2 is adapted to be secured to a supporting plate 5 by any suitable means, such as bolts 6. The supporting plate 5- is shaped at its top and bottom edges to fit betweenthe head 7 and base flange 8 at one side of the rail, and the ends 9 of the plate extend beyond the ends of the receptacle so that the assembly may conveniently be secured to the web 10 ot the rail by meansof screw bolts 11 passed through the web, or any equivalent attaching means. The receptacle serves as a reservoir to house the oill supply.

Mounted against the bottom 1 and rear wall 2 of the receptacle is a block 12 having a vertical rear flange or plate 13 by which the block may be mounted against the rear wall 2 by means of screws 14. A pump cylinder 15 is formed vertically within the block 12, this cylinder being closed at.its lower end and open at its upper end. An

oil discharge passage 16 in the block is con- Veniently formed by making a vertically eX oil from being into the-cylinder.

A pair of horizontally positioned arcuate ports 20 are formed in the side walls of the cylinder block at an intermediate height.

These ports are of small vertical height, butA have as great an arcuate length as the structure will permit to provide for the free passage of oil from the reservoir into the cylinv der. A bushing 21 is fitted securely within bushing 21 to operate vertically, the plunger having a limited travel past the ports'22 in both directions. The upper end of plunger 23 is formed with an upwardly projecting collar 24, of greater diameter than the plunger 23 so as to form a lower shoulder 25. A head 26 comprises an upper cap member 27, adapted to be engaged and depressed by the car wheel fiange indicated in dotted lines at 28, and a lower member 29 threaded into cap 27 at 30. The member 29 is formed with a lower inwardly extending flange 31 adapted to engage beneath the shoulder 25 on plunger 23, and with an upper outwardly extending flange 32Aadapted to engage beneath the cover plate 33 on the reservoir to limit the upward movement of the head and plunger. A rather strong compression spring 34 is housedwithin the head 26 and interposed between the head and top of plunger 23 so as to normally hold the head up with flange 31 in engagement with shoulder 25, in which position the head and plunger will normally operate vertically as a unit. A second compression spring 35, is confined between fiange 32 of the head and a shoulder 36 on cylinder block 12, so as` to normally elevate the plunger until its upward movement is stopped by the engagement of flange 32 with the cover plate 33. A stud 37 projecting upwardly from the base of cylinder 15 serves as a stop to limit the downward movement of plunger 23.

Cover plate 33 is formed with an opening 38 for receiving theA head 26, andan annular packing ring 39 mounted in a groove in plate 33 serves to seal the opening 30 and prevent the entrance of foreign substances without materially interfering with the ver. tical movement of the plunger. The cover plate 33 is removably secured in any suitable manner to the upper face of the receptacle, for example by means of the screws 40. A suitable filling opening for replenishing the oil supply may be provided in plate 33, this drawn back from passage 16 free and unimpeded fiow of oil from the reservoir into the suction chamber 44 formed beneath hood 42..

VnIn operation, the reservoir will be filled with oil to some convenient height, as indicated at as in Fig. 3, and the cylinder 15 beneath plunger 23 and also the discharge passage 16 will be filled with oil. Asa wheel passes over this apparatus, the wheel ange 28 will depress the head 26 forcing down the plunger against the resistance `of the spring 35. The spring 34 is stronger than Y the oil pressure-that will be developed wit-hin the pump cylinder, so that this spring will not be compressed until the downward movement of plunger 23 has4 been stopped by en- A gagement with the stud 37. The apparatus is so designed that'wheel flanges 28 of the least diameter will depress plunger 23 su`1V ciently to cause a complete stroke thereof, bringing the plunger into engagement with stop 37 When wheel flanges of greater diameter pass over the apparatus, the complete -stroke will be imparted to plunger 23, and the spring 34 will then be compressed to permit the larger flange 28 to pass thereover,

the head 26 sliding down over the plunger 23.

After the wheel has passed by, the springs 34 Y and 35 will both expand so as to move the head 26 back to its extreme upper limit of movement Aon plunger 23, and to move the assembled head and plungernpwardly imtil this movement is limited by enga-gement with cover plate 33.

As the plunger is forced downwardly, after the lower end of the plunger has closed the port-s 22 further downward movement of the plunger will force oil from cylinder 15 past' the one-way ball valve 18 into discharge passage 16, the oil being projected upwardly from this passage againstthe wheel flange 28 at the side of the rail head 7. After the wheel has passed, the spring 35 will ele. vate the plunger thereby lcreating a suction in cylinder 15 which will immediately close the ball valve 18 so as to prevent thev oil which remains in discharge passage 16 from being drawn back into the cylinder. As the lower end of plunger 23 uncovers the ports 22 and passes thereabove, the suction created in cylinder 15 will draw oil into the cylinder from the suction chamber 44 beneath the hood 42. If a suflicient head of oil were maintained within the cylinder, this .hood 34 would be unnecessary, but when the oil level through the upper surface of the oil supply.

The hood 42 serves to form a suction chamber 44 around the ports 22 which will be maintained full of oil by a Siphon action so that the oil level in the reservoir may become quite low (as indicated at y) and the mechanism will still remain operative.

It will be apparent that this device will apply oil to only a relatively small portion of the car wheel Bange, but this oil is distributed for a greater distance on the wheel Bange by the rotating wheel and by wiping against the side of rail head 7. By using several of these oiling devices in series, spaced at suitable intervals along the rail, the entire circumference of the car wheel Bange may be quickly oiled. Ordinarily two or more of these pumping devices will be mounted within the same receptacle or reservoir, but for convenience'of illustration I have shown but one of them.

I claim:

1. In a wheel Bange oiler comprising a reservoir for holding oil adapted to be positioned adjacent the rail, a pump including a cylinder and 'a plunger in the cylinder positioned to be depressed by the car wheel Bange, a port connecting the cylinder with the reservoir, and a passage for discharging oil from the pump against the Bange, a stop for limiting the downward stroke of the plunger, a head telescopically fitted to the plunger to 'be engaged by the Bange, means for elevating the plunger, and a compressible spring positioned between the head and plunger, said spring being of sufficient strength to successfully resist movement of the head with relation to the'plunger until the downward stroke of the plunger has been completed by engagement with the stop.

2. In a wheel Bange oiler comprising a reservoir for holding oil adapted to be positioned adjacent the rail, a pump including a cylinder and a plunger in the cylinder positioned to be depressed by the car Wheel Bange, a port connectingthe cylinder with the reservoir, and a passage for discharging oil from the pump against the Bange, a stop for limiting the downward stroke of the plunger, a spring positioned to elevate the plunger, a head telescopically fitted to the plunger to be engaged by the Bange, and a second spring positioned between the head and plunger, said second springfbeing of suficient strength to prevent relative movement between the head and plunger until the plunger has engaged the stop.

3. In a wheel Bange oiler comprising a reservoir for holding oil adapted to be positioned adj acentthe rail, a cylinder block positioned in the reservoir, a plunger in the cylinder, a port in the cylinder wall for rcceiving oil from the reservoir, said port being closed by the plunger when it is depressed, a stop for limiting the downward stroke of the plunger, a discharge passage leading from the lower portion of the cylinder to a point adjacent the railhead, a one-way valve 1n the discharge passage, means for elevating the,

plunger, a head telescopically fitted to the plunger and positioned to be depressedby the wheel Bange, and means for restraining movement of the head with respect to the plunger until the plunger has engaged the stop.

4. In a wheel Bange oiler comprising a reservoir for holding oil adapted to be positioned adjacent the rail, a cylinder block positioned in the reservoir, a plunge;` in the cylinder, a port in the cylinder wall for receiving oil from the reservoir, said port being closed by the plunger when it is depressed, a stop for limiting the downward leading from the lower portion of the cylinder to a point adjacent the railhead, a oneway valve in the discharge passage, meansl of the head with respect to the plunger untilr the downward stroke of the plunger has been completed.

'stroke of the plunger,.a discharge passage l 5. In a Wheel Bange oiler comprising a i reservoir for holding oil adapted to be positioned adjacent the rail, a cylinder block positioned in the reservoir, a plunger in the cylinder, a port in the .cylinder wall for receiving oil. from the reservoir, said port being closed by the plunger when it is depressed,

a stop for limiting the downwardstroke of the plunger, a discharge passage leading from the lower portion of the cylinder to a point adjacent the railhead, a one-way valve in the discharge passage, a head telescopi- .i

cally fitted to the plunger and positioned to be depressed by the wheel Bange, interengaging members on the head and plunger for permitting limited vertical movement of the head with respect to the plunger, a spring interposed between the head-and plunger, and a second spring interposed between the head and the cylinder block for elevating the plunger, said Brst mentioned spring being of suBicient strength to prevent movement of the head with respect to the plunger until the downward stroke of the plunger has been completed by engagment with the stop.

6. In a wheel Bange oiler comprislng a reservoir for holding oil adapted to be positioned adjacent the rail, a cylinder block positioned in the reservoir, a plunger in the cylinder, a port in the cylinder wall for receiving oil from the reservoir, said port being closed by the plunger when it is depressed, a stop for limiting the downward stroke of the plunger, a discharge passage leading from the lower portion of the cylinder to a point adjacent the railhead, a oneway Valve in the discharge passage, a head telescopically fitted to the plunger and positioned to be depressed by the wheel flange, interengaging members on the head and plunger for permitting limited vertical movement of the head with respect to the plunger, a spring interposed between thehead and plunger, a stop on the head engaging a portion of the reservoir for limiting upward movement of the plunger and head, and a spring interposed between the cylinder block and head for elevating the plunger after it has been depressed, said lirst mentioned spring preventing relative movement of the head on the plunger until further downward Y movement o the plunger is prevented by engagement with the first mentioned stop.

7. In a wheel ange oiler comprising a reservoir for holding oil adapted to be positioned adjacent the rail, a pump including a cylinder, a port connectin the cylinder with the reservolr, a passage or discharging oil from the pum against the wheel flange, a

`stop for lmitlng the downward stroke of the plunger, a head telescopically tted to the upper end of the plunger and adapted to be depressed varying distances by the engaement therewith of `car wheel iianges of di erent diameters, a stop for limiting the upward movement of the head, means for preventing separation of the head and plunger, a s ring for elevating the head and plunger, an a relatively strong spring conlined between the head and plunger, the head and plunger normally moving as a unit throughout the stroke of the plunger, and any excess downward movement of the head being permitted by compression of the rela tively strong sprin f PE RY H. HAMILTON. 

